Weekly Web Design and Development Inspiration – N.31

Richard, you’re entitled to your opinion, but as I said before, I don’t think you really looked at the sites. If you did, it wasn’t for very long. First off, I only count one site that is actually almost completely developed with flash, and that’s the FWA (which is appropriate for what they do). As far as the “many” sites that you speak of using flash, I only count 4 sites that use flash (including your favorite Hughes site). 3 out of those 4 sites that are using flash are using it in a very unobtrusive way. Oh, and Muh•Tay•Zik only uses flash in the background. Everything else in that site is Java. So I really don’t think you know what you’re talking about, but to answer your questions, I’ve gone to describe what it is I enjoy (or don’t enjoy) about each site.

The FWA » (very easy navigation).
Granted, flash is a little dated, but if you can’t figure out the navigation, then there’s something seriously wrong with you. Sorry, just sayin. Aesthetically, I enjoy it as well.

André Goncalves » (really nice interface / and NOT flash).
Pretty much a no brainer when it comes to what the site is about. The illustrations are really nice as well. Definitely my taste

Gateway College » (pretty self-explanatory / only certain elements are flash. Not the entire site).
I don’t read the language, but if I had to guess, I would say it’s pretty much just about various colleges in Europe, and what programs they offer, and what personal activities one can expect in that specific region / town / city, etc… I actually really enjoy this aesthetic. Very easy navigation.

Crush + Lovely » (again, pretty self-explanatory. No flash at all).
Very easy to navigate. Pretty decent aesthetic.

Fuzzco » (again, self-explanatory & easy to navigate. Only the banner is flash. That’s it).
I actually enjoy their aesthetic quite a bit. Very minimal, and very nice layout. One of my favorites on here.

Put This On » (not quite sure about the “dressing like a grownup” bit, but I enjoy the aesthetic quite a bit. Also, there’s no flash on this site either).
Very easy to navigate. Very beautiful and minimal.

Colorcubic » (self-explanatory, with a really nice modular approach. No flash on this site).
Very easy on the eyes, and I enjoy the approach with their site layout. The content they feature is really nice as well. They also seem to have a nice collection of work. Another one of my personal favorites.

Hughes » (honestly, besides the landing page, I wasn’t all that impressed).
Their work is mediocre, and I’m not really feeling their company presentation at all. Seems rather forced. I’m actually quite surprised you like this. I suppose that’s why I think you’re trolling, as this is probably one of my least favorite on this site. Do you work for them?

Muh•Tay•Zik » (I’d have to agree with you, as I’m not really feeling this at all).
As far as typography goes, it’s alright, but it’s a little too bland for me (although that’s just a subjective opinion). Again, not one of my personal favorites, but easy navigation. Also, this site is a

Tenth Time.com » (personally, as far as aesthetics go, it’s not my personal favorite, but there’s no flash).
As far as navigation goes, it’s very simple. If you struggle with this, you’re probably going to have a hard time dealing with your DVD remote control.

Launchpad » (As an interface, it’s pretty self-explanatory, but I’ll explain it to you anyway… oh, and there’s no flash here either). Sign up for invites to beta test pretty much. That’s it. Who knows what the actual site will be like. Aesthetically, probably my least favorite out of the lot, but I think that’s a little premature of me to say, as I haven’t seen the finished site. Who knows. It could completely blow my mind.

Lise Marie & Tobias » (kind of wish they went with a chocolate brown background. I think that would’ve been much easier on the eyes. Oh, and no flash here). Overall though, I really enjoy the layout, and use of ornaments. The type is really beautiful as well. Again, another one of my favorites.

Attic » (conceptually, i think it’s appropriate for what they’re trying to achieve. There’s no flash though). Kind of wish the layout was a little different, but overall, I can figure my way around it no problem. Aesthetically, I don’t really have an opinion, so I suppose in this sense I’d have to agree with you.